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Featured events in Toscana

2018-02-25 - The familiar "postcard" panorama of Tuscany comes to life with the Terre di Siena ultramarathon. Three the courses - a 50k long one will start from Sam Gimignano; an intermediate 32k one will start from Colle Val d'Elsa; and the shortest 18k will start from Monteriggioni. All three will finish in piazza del Campo in Siena, the world renown square hosting the Palio horse race in the Summer. www.terredisienaultramarathon.it

2017-11-26 - The course of the Firenze Marathon takes participants by all those landmarks of singular beauty that have made Florence famous worldwide: views over the enchanting hills and countryside, and passing right by the cathedral square, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio (to mention only just a few of historical importance), before entering the majestic Piazza Santa Croce. The road is entirely asphalted and ramp-free, except for the short, slightly sloping stretch of road at the start, and these characteristics make it a particularly fast route. www.firenzemarathon.it

2017-11-19 - The Trofeo fettunta will be held in Mezzomonte, a small town near Impruneta. This 18k and 6k race on the hills surrounding Firenze celebrates the "fettunta", a simple yet tasty slice of toasted bread with the newly pressed olive oil. This typical local winter snack it is offered at the refreshment points and at the finish line to all participants. www.smsmezzomonte.it

2017-11-12 - The Val di Merse ultramarathon trail course winds through one of the most unexplored nature reserves of Tuscany. Available distances are 52k, 42k, 20k, and 10k, with courses open also to walkers. The 10k trail starts from Stigliano, while all the other distances will start from the Stadio di Rosia, in the city of Sovicille, and run to Siena. Val di Merse is situated at the outskirts of Siena and the forest is rich in biodiversity. www.sienamarathon.it

2017-11-01 - On December 8 Italy celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. One of the events traditionally organized on this holiday is the Corsa dell'olio in Reggello, on the hills around Firenze, to celebrate the pressing of the extravirgin olive oil. This 16.5k and 6k event is ideal to have fun, taste fresh green oil, and be rewarded with a 1-liter bottle of newly pressed olive oil at the end of the run. www.podistiresco.it

2017-10-22 - The Miniera in trail is held in the town of Rio Marina, on the Mediterranean island of Elba, the largest of the Tuscan Archipelago, famous for its deposits of iron. The race features a 14k and a 27k course. The start is from the marina. A hilly trail will bring the participants up and down the surrounding mountains through an open mine of iron pyrite (fool's gold). www.minieraintrail.com

2017-09-17 - Running and shopping united at last with the Fashion marathon, La mezza del Valdarno Fiorentino, a half marathon in the Valdarno region where natural beauty goes along with the presence of some of the world's top fashion houses. The start is at The Smart Gallery, a mall in the shadow of the Torre del Castellano, one of the most beautiful castles around Firenze, overlooking the river Arno valley and dating back to the year 927. The mall itself features extremely competitive prices, free multilingual shopping assistants, and tax-free items. www.podistiresco.it

2017-07-16 - The Salitredici delivers what its title promises - a 13.2k point-to-point uphill course. The route brings the participants from the medieval town of Abbadia San Salvatore, near Siena, to the top of the Amiata mountain on a shaded street completely closed to traffic. The area the race goes through was once important for the extraction of cinnabar, a historic source for the brilliant red and scarlet pigments used since antiquity in cosmetics and to color lacquerware. www.amiatarunners.it

2017-07-09 - The Reggello-Vallombrosa is held in Reggello. It is the classic Summer event for those living around Firenze. The course is a point-to-point one measuring 13.2k. It starts from the quaint little town of Reggello and ends up in Vallombrosa, a Benedictine abbey surrounded by forests of beech and firs, founded by Giovanni Gualberto, a Florentine noble, in 1038. The entry fee is 12 euro. Make sure to pack some food along and have an after-race picnic in the park in front of the abbey. www.podistiresco.it/reggello-vallombrosa.html

2017-06-25 - The Pistoia-Abetone is held in Pistoia. It is one of the most famous Italian ultramarathons. The course is a point-to-point one, mostly uphill, finishing in the ski town of Abetone. It is 50k in lenght but there are intermediate finish lines at 14k, 30k and 47k if you want to stop sooner. Along with these options, there is also a fitwalking (20k) and a hiking event. www.pistoia-abetone.net

2017-06-17 - For runners, it does not get more Florence than this. Discover the magic atmosphere of Firenze historical center and its monuments. The Notturna di San Giovanni is one of the most ancient street races in Italy, organized during the celebrations for the patron saint of Florence. Traditionally the race takes place at night with start and arrival in piazza San Giovanni in front of the Cathedral. The very large public of Florentines and tourists creates a unique frame together with the beauty of Florence itself. www.firenzemarathon.it

2017-05-21 - The small Isola del Giglio is located in the southern corner of the Tuscan Archipelago, 10 miles from the mainland. The Giglio trail features an 11k and a 27k course around this island, famous not only for its sandy beaches, the uncontaminated countryside, and its mineral ore (many columns and buildings in Rome were built with the island's granite), but also for the running aground in 2012 of the cruise liner Costa Concordia, just off the beautiful island's shore. www.gigliotrail.com

2017-05-06 - Behind the Da piazza a piazza there is a bet among friends: go from one "piazza" (square) in Prato to second one a few miles away, but without crossing the river Bisenzio that divides the town in two. This requires hiking up the mountains to cross the river behind its source, for a total of 75 kilometers. Depending whether you run or hike, to complete the event it may take you a full day (dawn to sunset) or two days (if you rest mid-way and spend the night in the quaint village of Montepiano like most participants do). The views along the course are simply magnificent. www.dapiazzaapiazza.it

2017-04-30 - The Ultratrail del Mugello begins with a climb in the beautiful forests surrounding the ancient Badia di Moscheta, near Firenzuola, in the province of Firenze. It then continues climbing the ridgeline of the Apennine watershed, passing sections that alternate between breathtaking panoramic views and old growth forests, and reaching Mount Pratone, one of the most stunning sections of the race. The trail follows the Gothic Line, where the German forces created a defensive line hoping to slow the advance of the allied army during their retreat from the Second World War. The course is 60 kilometers long. www.ultratrailmugello.it

2017-03-26 - With a population of about 400, the island of Capraia will host the 20k trail race Capraia wild trail all around its coastline. Capraia is of volcanic origin, is about 5 miles long (from Punta della Teglia to Punta dello Zenobio) and about 2 miles wide, and is part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park and marine sanctuary.

2017-03-19 - The local running club organizes in Pistoia the Maratonina cittą di Pistoia. Along with the half marathon course, runners can choose the 10k or the 3k option. A center of Gallic, Ligurian and Etruscan settlements before becoming a Roman colony in the 6th century bC along the important road Via Cassia, Pistoia is located about 30 kilometers from Firenze and is a typical Italian medieval city. www.maratoninadipistoia.it

2017-03-18 - A Unesco World Heritage Site since 2013, the Medici Villa La Ferdinanda, located in Artimino di Carmignano near Prato, hosts the Artimino Ultramarathon an 8-hour event featuring 43k, 22k, and 10k options as well. The splendid Medici Villa is also known as the "Villa of the 100 chimneys" due to the numerous chimneys that make it unique. Imposing, elegant, and luxurious, surrounded by the typical Tuscan countryside, it is just a few kilometres from Firenze and Pisa. www.pontormorunning.it

2017-03-11 - The local running club Le Torri organizes in Firenze the oldest Italian all-women run, the RosaMimosa. The courses measure 2k and 8k and all participants will receive a bouquet of silver wattle, the flower associated in Italy with the celebrations of International Women's Day (March 8). www.gsletorrifirenze.it

2017-03-04 - The Gran premio del Monte Serra, Ragazzi del Vega will be held on the mountain trails near the Tuscan town of Calci, in the province of Pisa. It is a challenging 9.3k uphill run featuring wonderful views of the surrounding area. Participation is free (no entry fee). www.pisarrc.it

2017-02-12 - The finisher's prize at the Brunello Crossing, held in Montalcino (Siena), could not have been anything other than a wine glass featuring the trail logo. The 22k and 44k trails start from the fourteenth century fortress and go through the Brunello di Montalcino vineyards, while the fun run will follow the medieval Via Francigena pilgrim route. The day before the event do not miss the guided tour of wineries to taste the "new" Brunello di Montalcino (from five years ago) before it will be officially available for sale. www.brunellocrossing.it

2017-02-05 - Runners in love with Italian opera will have the possibility of combining their two passions by running the Puccini marathon in the Tuscan town of Torre del Lago, near Viareggio, in the province of Lucca. Here is the villa where opera composer Giacomo Puccini lived and worked. He is buried in a small chapel inside the villa. Despite the name of the event, this is a half marathon (13.1 miles). www.puccinimarathon.it

2017-01-29 - The Ronda ghibellina will be held in Castiglion Fiorentino, an Etruscan medieval walled city dating back to the 4th century bC, located in Tuscany, in the Arezzo province. It is a self-sufficient trail run featuring three courses: 43, 27, and 13 kilometers. The night before there is pasta party for all participants. www.rondaghibellina-trail.com

2017-01-29 - In Vinci, near Firenze, the local running club organizes the traditional Maratonina cittą di Vinci, a 14.5k competitive event, with two fun runs (4.5k and 10k). Renaissance inventor Leonardo da Vinci was born on 15 April 1452, in a farmhouse about 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) from the town. Half a million visitors a year come to visit the Museum of Leonardo and his birthplace. www.atleticavinci.it

2017-01-22 - The Mugello GP run consists in one or two loops of the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, a race track circuit in Tuscany property of Scuderia Ferrari which uses it for Formula One testing. The length of the track is 5.245 kilometers. It has 15 turns and a long straight. The event features a shorter kids run on the go-kart track. www.mugellogprun.it

2016-10-09 - It does not get more Tuscany than this. The Volterra-San Gimignano is a point-to-point 30k race, changing direction each year. The highly panoramic course starts from the main square in Volterra, one of the most important Etruscan centers, winds through the rolling postcard-worthy Tuscan hills, and arrives in San Gimignano, a small walled medieval hill town, famous for its Vernaccia wine and its medieval tower-houses. www.sangimignanovolterra.com

2016-09-17 - Imagine running on the same trails walked by Saint Francis of Assisi and passing by the very same place where he received the stigmata on September 17, 1224. This is what the Trail delle foreste di Badia Prataglia offers to the participants running on the 67k course. The event also features shorter distances - 25k, 14h, 13k, 5k, and a minitrail run for the kids - all within the gorgeous national park of the Casentino forests, in Tuscany. www.trailsacredforests.com

2016-09-10 - The Gara a peso in Prato, near Firenze, is a unique 8k timed event where 3-runner teams compete in 8 different weight category - from up to 170 kilograms (390 pounds) to more than 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of combined mass. The course is completely flat. The occasion is perfect for heavy runners to form a team and have a chance of winning by being the fastest within their category, of course after having posed for a memorable photo on the scale before the start. www.podisticapratese.it

2016-05-19 - The Marniatona will be held in Leccio di Reggello, on the mountains near Firenze. It is a 28k trail event featuring 10-mile and 3-mile courses as well. As the name implies, the race winds through the valley of the river Marnia on country roads and forest trails, with a spectacular finish after having crossed the castle of Sammezzano, erected in 1605 and remodeled at the end of the 1800s into one of the largest examples of Moorish Revival architecture. www.marniatona.it

2016-02-28 - Along with the one in Venice, the Carnevale in Viareggio is an event not to be missed. With its festively decorated carriages on display along the seaside promenade, it is the largest Italian folk event with a budget of 5 million euro per year, spawning a whole month of daytime and nighttime festivities with parades of allegorical floats, local parties, masked balls and festivals of all kinds. Run the Riocarneval, la Straviareggio in maschera, a 5k and 10k running event in costume on the local streets, then stay and join the Carnival parade with discounted tickets. www.straviareggio.com

2015-11-01 - The Eroica running will be held in Gaiole in Chianti, in the province of Siena. This is the foot version of the more famous cycling event held in the Chianti region. The run features six courses: 6k, 10k, 12k, a 21+21 relay, a marathon, and a 65k ultramarathon. http://running.eroica.it

2014-10-12 - Between San Gimignano, in the Siena province, and Volterra, in the province of Pisa, a 30k race is held each year, alternating direction between the two places. This year the spectacular San Gimignano-Volterra will start from San Gimignano, famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls form an unforgettable skyline, and will end in the Etruscan city of Volterra. www.comune.sangimignano.si.it